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Extinction of fear in rats does not depend on long-term habituation. Stephanie Damas, Cheryl Novak, Brian L. Thomas. Baldwin-Wallace College. Introduction. NS No particular response bee NS + US UR bee sting pain CS CR
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Extinction of fear in rats does not depend on long-term habituation Stephanie Damas, Cheryl Novak, Brian L. Thomas Baldwin-Wallace College
Introduction • NS No particular response bee • NS + US UR bee sting pain • CS CR bee anticipatory fear/avoidance (Pavlov, 1928). • Fear conditioning (Estes & Skinner, 1941). • EU: CS not predict /US (Rauhut, Thomas, & Ayres, 2001).
Purpose • Is relapse prevented in the EU procedure because the rats become habituated to the US? • Is there a possible double dissociation, similar levels of US habituation with varying relapse and similar levels of relapse with varying US habituation?
Method • Procedure
Conclusions • The EU procedure is not dependent on US habituation. • Supports double-dissociation • Habituation strong in 2+ and 4+ groups, but CU groups with habituation relapsed significantly • Procedure groups, for example EU groups with 1, 2, and 4 USs, did not differ in renewal, but did differ in US habituation
References • Estes, W.K. & Skinner, B.F. (1941). Some quantitative properties of anxiety. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 29, 390-400. • Pavlov, I.P. (1927). Conditioned Reflexes (G. V. Anrep, Trans.). London: Oxford University Press. • Rauhut, A.S., Thomas, B.L., & Ayres, J.J.B. (2001). Treatments that weaken Pavlovian conditioned fear and thwart its renewal in rats: Implications for treating human phobias. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Process, 27(2), 99-114.